


At your fingertips

by spiffycups



Category: Baahubali (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-16 04:55:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11821671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiffycups/pseuds/spiffycups
Summary: The curtain rises on the complex cross-country couple. There is no explicit content in this chapter.





	1. The background

**Author's Note:**

  * For [queenofmahishmati](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofmahishmati/gifts).



> For @queenofmahishmati who made this awesome OFC so of course I have to write porn of them  
> Blanket disclaimer for all of my works under this Fandom tag- all rights to creators, I own nothing, I derive no profits.

"Indira", said her mother. "You have learnt the arts of queenly conduct, war, archery, medicine, lexicographies, dance and music. We have also tutored you in the finer arts of perfumery, painting, weaving and in playing the veena.”

“And I am an expert at them”, declared Indira, tossing her braid over her shoulder.

“Yes dear”, smiled the Queen of Anupa. “You are skilled in conversation and style. I believe it is time you took over the reins and learnt to act as a Queen in your own right.”

“When is the coronation?”, enquired the King laughingly as he entered the room.

“Just as soon as Indira finds herself a match!” the Queen said with a smile.

 

“Mother, can't I rule without a King?”

“A Queen without a King? Tongues will wag, Indira.”

“There is no man who can match me. Do you not remember how horrifyingly inept all these boys are?” whined Indira.

“The law does not permit it, my pearl. And be you ever so high…”

“… the law is above you!” , finished Indira with a sigh.

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------

 

The Court was abuzz with excited whispers the next morning. The King interviewed the messenger with a hundred questions about the Mahishmati kingdom, the people, the disposition of the rulers, and found the answers not only adequate but also meaningfully explained. The Queen, upon learning of the procession of messengers entering the Anupa capital of Veerendranam, had ordered her courtesans to find out every scrap of information about Mahishmati’s ruling family. By mid-day, while the messengers were still being interrogated (albeit kindly) by the King, the courtesans had collated every piece of news straight from the Minister’s beds, the Trader’s outhouses and the Fishermen’s markets, and cross-verified amongst themselves, before laying it all out for the Queen.

 

Indira for her part had asked her gaggle of hand-maidens to intercept the Chief courtesan and deliver the information to her first, before it went to the Queen. She was nothing if not resourceful. A lovesick artist hopelessly bonded to her had worked feverishly and delivered a portrait of the Mahishmati Prince by sundown, and was paid a measured smile for his efforts. The guards escorted out him when he wept and fell at her feet in joy.

 

  --------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Rajamatha, this is the right time. Anupa could become one of ours too. It is an easy conquest to make. Their minerals are unmatched, and their fabrics, perfumes and spices always beat us to be on the Silk Route first. We must control them or have the rug pulled out from beneath us every day.” The Minister for Peace advocated war.

 

Sivagami sighed. “Have you heard of a conquest by silence?”

“The Chinese have perfected the guerilla maneuver, but isn’t it too complicated an operation to undertake for as small a kingdom as Anupa?”

“Minister! Thank you. We will not be requiring anything else.” Sivagami dismissed him curtly and turned to Bhalla.

“Why do we employ idiots, Bhalla?” she inquired coldly.

“Mother, he knows of nothing but war. If given a pink rose he would ask if he could stain it a deeper red with the blood of enemies. Why do you try to play subtle with them!” laughed Bhalla.

 

She discarded the thoughts of her single-minded council members and gripped Bhalla by his shoulder. Seating him on the divan, she said softly, “Bhalla, you are a Prince of Mahishmati. Soon you may be King, and you are aware of the Matrimonial Treaties.”

 

Bhalla threw his memory back to the tense days of Baahubali’s engagement with Devasena. The two courts had been nearly in blows while the couple themselves near tears. Conflicting laws of marriage and royal succession between the two kingdoms had almost collapsed the wedding before it happened, and it was only through a thorough revision of their respective legislations that the pair were united in matrimony.

Sivagami had learnt her lesson there and signed Treaties with all the peace allies that declared that marriage laws of the bride’s side shall prevail “to preserve the traditions”, when it really meant no princesses could be used as political pawns by ill-meaning Councils. It was in part an apology to her younger self, although that was a secret only she knew.

“A future for our daughters that our mothers could not give us!” the message was written in silk and sent round by visiting courtesans to the harems in each of these nations. As soon as the Treaties were signed, all the shrewd Queens of each nation connived with their respective factions in the courts to change the laws to be harsher and remove any loopholes that had existed.

 

“So Mother, does that mean I should pick a bride and then see if her laws allow her to marry me? Or do we wait for a proposal and accept whatever Fate throws my way?” Bhalla raised an eyebrow. Having been placed in charge of the treasury, espionage and armory, Bhalla had not investigated the Matrimonial Treaties with a keen eye, but he had known at the time of raising his hand in favor at that council, that something had changed right then that only Sivagami Devi could maneuver them through.

 

“Bhalla, the fact is, I have a girl in mind. If you would be amicable, I can have a messenger start on the journey to enquire of their customs of marriage. You do reserve the right to change your mind later, but I would appreciate an open mind now.” Bhalla looked away and rolled his eyes. His mother had a way of presenting ideas to him that he could not reasonably reject without appearing rude and narrow-minded.

“Yes Mother. Send the caravan to your bride of choice. I only ask that she be more than a pretty face.”

“Of course Bhalla! Do you think I would marry you off to every tawdry imp that came dancing in? My son deserves the very best!” Smiling approvingly, Sivagami Devi turned to other matters.

 

\--End--


	2. The sharpened edges of swords can pierce every heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first meeting  
> There is no explicit content in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what I imagine the outfit to be like. You can keep the link open on the side, start reading, and go see it when you get to that part :)  
> https://www.kalkifashion.com/green-and-yellow-toned-top-with-navy-blue-lehenga.html

The following month saw both kingdoms frantically gather information, arrange meetings for diplomatic counterparts, organize debates within their respective councils of the strategic value in such a marriage, and sleepless nights for the historians as they raced time to draft reports of the key issues of the other kingdom.

Many debates later, it was widely agreed that this marriage was not only advantageous, but also fortuitous for the prince and the princess as individuals.

 

To the tune of a loud marching band, Bhalla rode into the Anupa kingdom, accompanied by Baahubali and Devasena.

“Really, Baahu? You got matching horses? Deva, this bloke not too cheesy for you?”

“You get married and we’ll see if you ride a purple horse while your wife is on a yellow one” mumbled Baahu. Craning up on his saddle, he peered ahead into the vast stone castle. “Not bad, eh, Bhalla? Security seems strong.”

“Well, they do know what happened the last time a prince of Mahishmati went into a palace in pursuit of a girl. No wonder they want to protect their dams and cities!” chuckled Bhalla.

Devasena shot them both a transparently fake look of fondness that had them freezing in their seats. To an outsider it would seem like she was joining in on the fun. The princes knew that Devasena only favored them such displays if what she wanted to say was inappropriately rude for present company.

“Too soon, I think” whispered Bhalla with a blush. “After all, you did destroy that very nice dam, and the traders just wouldn’t stop trying to wring us for damages for months afterward.”

Sparing Baahubali the embarrassment of a reply, the accompanying guardsman broke in “And here we are! Your Highnesses, if you would prepare to dismount in a minute, I think I see the welcome assembly gathered at the palace steps.”

 

 

“Welcome, Your Highnesses! Anupa is overjoyed to greet you”, the King boomed cheerfully.

“The Lady does not use a palanquin?” he asked curiously.

“No offense meant, Your Highness. The King is merely interested in a point of cultural difference”, said the Prime Minister smoothly covering up the question.

“None taken, sire. It is my belief that as a Princess I am to see my people, and the curtains of such a womanly carriage blind me to the realities of the path ahead. I ride alongside my husband with his support and encouragement. We catch each other before either one of us falls, and we ride better by seeing the same road.”

The Queen smiled. “Anupa is glad to hear of such a mode of transport for princesses. While we have modified our carriages to be of only a roof-and-floor style without wasteful embellishments, it is still a ways from riding alongside the King.”

“Duly noted, Your Highness. I understand that not everyone can control a temperamental horse, and the traditional modes must be respected for having served so well for centuries. It is my personal choice to ride on a horse, it is not the choice of Mahishmati. Our Rajamatha, for instance, uses a car-style chariot.”

“Oh! A combination of ours and yours! How remarkable!” exclaimed the Queen happily.

“Functional, and comfortable. That is the ultimate goal, in our Mahishmati” said Devasena.

 

“I don’t really think they’re talking about carriages anymore, huh, Bhalla?” said Baahubali.

“No Baahu, I think that conversation ended a while ago.” He whispered back.

 

 

  ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------

 

After refreshments and a tour of the palace, the King and Queen invited the visiting royalty to the parlour overlooking the scenic city.

The cavalry was practicing sword fighting and the clanging of metal chimed beautifully in Bhalla’s ears.  


“Your Highnesses, forgive me if I sound impertinent or impatient. We have traveled a long way, and while your kingdom is beautiful, we would like to get to the heart of the matter. Is the Princess in the palace today? May we meet her?” asked Devasena.

 

“You are looking at her. There, the one with red sash across the armor!” pointed the King across the practice grounds.

Bhalla took the opportunity to evaluate her technique. She was almost as good at sword fighting as Devasena was at archery, and that was saying something.

As he stood by the balcony for a good quarter of an hour, he kept half an ear on the conversation behind him. Devasena was, as expected, interrogating the King on the frequency of military exercises, while Baahubali was sweet-talking the Queen to learn the Matrimonial customs of Anupa.

 ‘I have been sent at the cost of the Treasury to see if this girl can be my wife, right? So it is my duty to see if she is fit for a kingdom like ours’, Bhalla justified to himself as the session ended and the soldiers (and Princess) walked off the grounds. Thankfully he was saved the difficulty by her parents asking them if they would like to meet her. Trying to not look too eager, he nodded haughtily and followed them.

“Psst, Baahu, Baahu! Psst!” he dragged Baahubali back by the elbow until the two of them were trailing at the last of the group. “Is my hair okay? That horse spooked easier than a baby, I’m worried some twigs are still in my head. I don’t want my possible future-wife’s first impression of me to be Leaf Head, Baahu”

“Relax, you’re fine. Just take a deep breath and wipe away that mustard on your face,” said Baahubali. “Just kidding, there isn’t anything on your face!” he chuckled when Bhalla anxiously swiped at his cheeks.

“You ass! I don’t trust you. Go swap places with Devasena.” He pushed him in front and tugged at Devasena’s saree until she fell into step with him.

“Please, Deva, don’t let my future spouse look at me and think I’m an indecorous country bumpkin.”

“Kid, that’s the face you have, it is too late to do anything but pray.”

“Deva! I’m possibly going to get sent away by a wee lass for having errant milk stains on my shirt and this is all you care?!” whispered Bhalla pleadingly.

“Fine! You look decent. Fix your chain it’s half-in half-out of your shirt.”

“No sweat patches?”

“No sweat patches.”

“Deva you are the best wingwoman I could ask for. Now if only you could tell me if my dhoti is on the correct length…”

“Husband your brother needs you!” exclaimed Devasena as she hurried past him.

 

 ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------

 

“ALL of these jewels? Might we not save some for the Treasury in times of war?”

“Must you talk about war when there’s a handsome man to see you?” exclaimed the handmaiden in exasperation.

“I’m just saying, my sword and shield make less noise in combat than these seventeen chains and twenty four anklets. I sound like a pregnant cow racing mad dogs.”

The handmaiden shot her a warning look that told her she was on the last straw. Taking the loud hint, Indira let them dress her without further complaint.

“No make-up”, she put her foot down. “He will see me as I am everyday, or he will not see me at all. I refuse to dress everyday for him, and I do not want to establish an image of greater beauty than I am capable of.”

“But Princess!”

“Hush. Not a word more. I have borne all these jewelry without complaint, and I see that heavy orange silk there, yes Lakshmi I see it don’t try to hide it, and I will wear them. But I will not wear make up.”

“Just a bit of kohl under the eyes, Princess, please. For my sake.”

“For God’s sake woman, no! Leave me.”

The chambers quickly emptied, and not a maiden stayed back with an irate Princess.

The Queen stepped in just as the last maiden left, and took in the scene in a glance. “Indira, I strongly suspect he is a greater warrior than the reports have informed us.”

‘Oh Gods, my Mother can make an opening like no other’, thought Indira. She raised her eyebrows in gentle curiosity, trying to appear gracious which was an admittedly difficult task for someone wearing an obscene amount of ornaments and dressed in nothing but their underthings.

“Yes, I would very much like to see you win a fight against him. Although I suspect he is more of a wrestler than a fencer, but you wrestle equally well, so I think you may be evenly matched.”

As Indira contemplated the possibilities happily, her mother had crossed over to the closet and was inspecting the clothes.

“So what are you going to wear, Indira?”

“But Mother, I thought… the orange was laid out… I thought you had selected…”

“You are selecting your husband, do you still need me to select your clothes, Princess?” inquired her mother with a stern look. With one line, the Queen had turned the situation on its head. Indira knew that her moves were being engineered but her mother was just so good at it that she didn’t mind following the script.

“I thought I would wear the blue, with the green flowers on the hem. Do you think it is good, Mother?”

“Not a bad selection. And I see you are already wearing enough jewelry to satisfy all questions of our wealth.” Said the Queen with a little smile.

“Need I wear all of these? Can I take a few off? They just feel so… restrictive.”

“Your husband is your choice, your jewels are your choice, Indira.” The queen stroked her head fondly, and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. “You would look breath-taking no matter what you wore, so it is purely your choice.”

“Thank you Mother.” The queen exited the princess’s chamber and rejoined the party where they were waiting.

As a mark of gratitude to her mother, and a compromise with her handmaiden, Indira wore kohl and a soft lip stain, with a sweet rose perfume.

 

  ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------

 

“Shhh, Bhalla, don’t look now, but here she comes”, whispered Baahubali with childish delight.

“Don’t embarrass me you moron, just stay in your seat. Don’t look bac.. oh you’re already turning. Great. Fantastic. Just what I need. A princess that thinks the visiting prince is an over enthusiastic five year old. Deva, I’m begging you, restrain your husband.”

“Oh, if you could see her, you wouldn’t reprimand him, Bhalla”, said Devasena.

Bhalla regretted his choice of the chair with the back to the door, for the fifth time since they had sat down.

 

“Greetings, Your Highnesses”, said a voice that he presumed was the Princess’s. Bhalla looked to his brother and sister-in-law for guidance on manners, and when they rose, he followed suit. As he turned slightly, he saw the princess nearing where they were standing, and he wished he had stayed seated.

Bhalla fell, and he fell hard. He had had his fair share of teenage romances, and had had proposals from crusty old kings whose only bargaining points were their daughters, and the whole idea of such a marriage was so repulsive to him that he had dropped the idea of a wife until his mother had brought it up.

Bhalla tried his best to discreetly scan the princess’s profile from where she was greeting Devasena, and memorized everything about her appearance so that it wouldn’t distract him later when she came around to greet him.

She was naturally beautiful, but she had chosen to accentuate her features with makeup, jewelry and some sort of shirt above a big skirt. He was not an expert in women’s fashion, and so he looked to Devasena, who was wearing an elegant saree that was securely tied around her, and back at the princess whose clothes were swaying about in the wind, and decided he liked the swishy fabrics better. From where he was standing, he could not very well ogle her face, hidden as it was by her hair and her position, so he waited patiently.

As Baahubali greeted her with his head bowed, in a show of respect, Bhalla knew that Sivagami had made a good choice. Baahubali bowed only to those who had impressed him deeply, and whom he greatly respected. Bhalla knew his brother did not subscribe to the tradition of not looking women in the eye (which was practiced by men who were either ascetics or who thought women were witches who beguiled men- and sadly the numbers of the second was high enough to justify calling it a tradition); so if Baahu bowed when he spoke to the princess, then she must be made of very strong stuff.

 

He took a deep calming breath, loosened his shoulders, drew himself up to his full height - and who could blame a man for sucking in his stomach when he was possibly meeting the love of his life?

All the breath he was holding in was expelled in a rush when she faced him.

“Indira”, she bowed gracefully.

“Bhallaladeva”, he said, praying that his voice would not crack.

“It is our pleasure to have you here, Your Highness”, she said with a polite tone, while her eyes stared piercingly into his.

He parroted his lines of the script, thankful that all royal meetings went the same way. He found that he could not look away from her deeply brown eyes, and wondered how he ever thought he might get distracted by anything else when she was speaking to him.

“… stay here pleasant. It would be my pleasure to introduce you to our fighting practices.” She said, in the same tone as the previous sentence, seamlessly integrating the invitation into the script.

Bhalla did not miss a beat, “Only if I can spar too. Traveling does not afford many opportunities to practice.”

Smiling, Indira rejoined her parents at the table.

  ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------

Bhalla spent the evening being teased endlessly by his brother and Devasena, and snuck away to his rooms earlier than usual to escape any further jibes at “swishy fabrics, honestly Bhalla I didn’t know you chased after skirts this bad” from Baahubali.

He woke up the next morning with a spine full of nervousness and jogged onto the practice grounds. Indira soon joined him there, and with a squadron full of guards watching, they stepped in to spar. He played defensively for a while, gauging her skills and looking for loopholes in her techniques, and soon any nature of amorousness was soon lost to the harsh blows of her sword on his shield. He stepped up a small attack and noted how she changed her weight distribution and with a few more thrusts he was able to map an idea of her thought process. The parry turned serious when both parties proved competent at understanding the other’s ideas, and soon a large crowd had gathered on the lawn, observing the quick moves of both the players. Indira’s speed was matched by Bhalla’s cleverness, while his defense was tested relentlessly under her deadly and sharp sword.

As the gong sounded, both of them dropped their weapons and stepped back, bowing to each other. The audience thundered applause, and Bhalla found himself looking to Indira for approval. Their eyes met across the distance, and he was grateful they had chosen this as an ice-breaker, over conversation.

 

The king and queen took Baahubali and Devasena on a tour to the city, markedly not inviting Bhalla and the Princess. The palace had apparently been instructed to give them space. She invited him to their armory, and Bhalla thanked his mother mentally for finding the one girl in the continent who had found out both his area of interest and his lack of flirting skills and devised a solution accordingly. They spoke for hours on end, flitting topics smoothly until Bhalla found himself being comfortable and starting to trust her.

  ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------

That evening, Baahubali took Bhalla aside.

“Brother to brother, I want to know your honest opinion, Bhalla. Do you like her? You are not obligated to agree, you can walk away and we would not mind. Tell me honestly, Bhalla. I need to ask you this because you are not forthcoming. Devasena tells me that by now other men would have made an offer of marriage, and it is worrying us that you haven’t expressed any interest.”

“Have you seen the woman?” asked Bhalla incredulously.

“I agree, she is too petite for what you are used to, but she seems strong enough, that should not be a detriment”

“You fool, have you seen her? She is a Goddess! I have not proposed marriage because firstly the reason we brought you along is to find out their custom, and secondly, because I feel insecure in front of her. I do not know if she likes me Amee.”

At his most vulnerable, Bhalla had reverted to the childhood nickname he used when they were younger than the deer they hunted.

“Then it is done. Tomorrow we shall know. Sleep tight”, Baahubali kissed Bhalla’s head and left the room.

  ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------

“Your Highness, thank you for having us. We invite you to visit Mahishmati sometime, we would like to return the honor”, said Devasena to the Queen.

Bhalla stared in horror as the Queen read off her script. What was Devasena doing? They hadn’t even discussed a proposal yet! Did that mean Indira did not like him back? He loved Indira. Why didn’t she like him?

As his face crumpled, Baahubali nudged him under the table. He smoothened his features out into a haughty indifference.

“Please, no more titles. Just call me Devasena. After all, we are like family”

“Of course. If we are to gain a son by the simple process of gifting a bejeweled mirror, why, our artists would do it purely out of affection for Indira!” said the Queen cheerfully.

Bhalla looked up, not daring to hope.

“Would love for the princess hasten their fingers? We are not talented at waiting”, said Devasena smilingly.

“Oh Devasena, when they returned from their sparring, Indira already requested a mirror of her own. It is waiting, for your acceptance.”

The entire company turned to Bhalla with an expectant look.

He turned to Indira and held out a hesitant smile. When it was mirrored on her face, he turned to the Queen and said, “It would be my honor to have Indira ride with me.”

 ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------


	3. Stealth is a weapon of great use

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is no explicit content in this chapter.

Lakshmi used to be loud and boisterous, uninhibited before she had met Prabhu. Right after they had gotten engaged, Lakshmi stopped sharing details of every moment of her day with Indira, and started issuing knowing smirks to other married women every morning and evening as she started her duties. Indira had been seventeen, and had hated the change in her best friend.

Now that more than half a decade had passed, and Indira herself had set her sights on Mahishmati, she wondered if she would also become reticent and secretive. She frowned- would that mean she was changing? Was she disloyal to her friends if she started keeping secrets? That did not sit well with the princess.

The Krishna puja was coming up in a fortnight. As the palace buzzed with the music rehearsals, with a constant fragrance of jasmine flowers, Indira wedged herself next to Lakshmi and began braiding a garland. Lakshmi glanced up at her with a puzzled smile. As she finished one length of a garland, looking around for a tray to place it in, and finding every square inch occupied by women and loose flowers, Lakshmi settled for laying the garland across her bulging round belly.

The gaggle of women laughed at her, and the Chief Courtesan Maragadham said, “Why Lakshmi, will your baby sleep better under a roof of jasmines?” Indira lay an arm protectively across Lakshmi’s shoulders and said, “Oh, Maragadham, my godchild would sleep under a roof of gold if Lakshmi would just accept my wishes!”

“Really, Indira? You want to line my ceiling with gold? Do you not know me at all? I would rather he sleep under wrought iron and steel, in obeisance to his warrior godmother. He might not see her every day, but it’s the thought that counts.”

“Oof already you plan for me to be gone! Marriage, marriage, marriage, is that all you ladies think about?!” cried Indira.

Lakshmi leaned forward conspiratorially. “Talk is, Sivagami Devi is looking for a bride for Bhallaladeva.” She raised an eyebrow meaningfully and nodded to Indira.

Indira was quiet for some time while she continued spinning the garlands. The chamber noticed the change, and the women started meaningless chatter to mask the awkward silence that would fall.

After a while, Indira turned to Lakshmi. “Is marriage good for a girl?”

“It has its merits. I won’t tell you it’s the solution to every problem in life, and the Lord knows men cause more problems than they can solve”- a chorus of agreement went around the room- “but it’s good fun, Indira.”

Maragadham stage-whispered, “And it’s also very _satisfying_ , don’t leave that out Lakshmi.”

 

\--------------------------------------------------------- 

 

Over the course of the next few months, the talks had proceeded far enough to justify Bhallaladeva visiting Anupa. Indira had received detailed reports of Bhallaladeva, and he seemed too good of a match for her to be true. Under the full moon, she leapt on a horse with Maragadham behind her, and rode on to Mahishmati.

The capital city was an architectural marvel. They halted there at the border, just gazing in silence at the massive structures and abundant canopy of colorful trees, breathing in a gentle fragrance that was a mix of jasmines, neem and mangoes. The moonlit night lent an additional touch of grace to the quiet city.

They stood there as minutes stretched on, not moving and not making a sound. They almost fell off their horses when three uniformed guardsmen appeared out of nowhere surrounding them with long swords.

“Dismount. State your name, nationality, place of origin, and purpose of visit.”

They quickly complied. Maragadham was trembling a little and clutched onto Indira tightly. They gave the names of their respective handmaidens as practiced, and stated that they were dancers looking to join the Courtesan’s dance division.

“Do you have an invitation to enter?”

Maragadham felt Indira’s fingers clench, and took control of the situation.

“Oh strong _soldiers_ ”, she drawled and one of the border control guards drew himself up to his full height and puffed out his chest. ‘Got one!’ she thought.

“We are only two young dancers. We know to dance, and sing a little, and we have heard of your famous princess Devasena’s artistry, and we thought to ourselves- my gosh! If the princess’s art is world famous, then we must join her and learn from her greatness!” As another guard grinned and relaxed his spear, she thought ‘Got two!’

“My sister and I have heard of Mahishmati’s splendid architecture, so we traveled straight on this evening, not halting at the traveling inn, so that we may see the beautiful city under the full moon. Isn’t it just gorgeous, Meera?” she asked Indira. Indira nodded nervously, keeping her gaze fixed on the ground. “And you gentlemen were keeping such a sharp watch on us all this time! You would know we have been dumbstruck by Mahishmati’s splendor.” The third guard nodded involuntarily, and Indira knew he was won over by Maragadham’s charm. “Now do you know what we really want?” asked Maragadham, walking to the third guard with her hips swaying. “We want to admire her from the inside. I bet she looks even more fantastic from within, don’t you agree?”

The guards escorted them in.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------

 

Maragadham used her contacts in the courtesan’s pan-country union to gain access to boarding and lodging at the royal harems. She apologized profusely to Indira for not being able to obtain a separate room for her, but Indira waved her reasons away. “We’re here to see the prince, Maru. Help me find him and observe him, and we will be on our way before Mother and Father start from Kuntala.”

As the day wore on, they trailed behind the cleaning unit, swapping places with Bhalla’s staff to give them a day off. The harem was aware of Indira’s real identity and helped dress her in their clothes and look the part. Maragadham did the actual cleaning while Indira snooped around his rooms. Over the course of an hour, she had formed an idea of the man and his habits. He was meticulous in his secrecy of State affairs and had not left behind even a scrap of a document. His things were neatly arranged, with the care of one who respects his cleaning staff as people and does not trash his bed, as spoiled princes were often wont to do. Indira looked into his wardrobes, his chest of drawers and tea tables and found them in much of her own style.

To their utter mortification, Bhalla walked in just as they were packing up. He nodded quickly, mumbled a hello, picked up a jacket from his wardrobe and headed out again.

“Do you think…?”

“that he noted us? Only one way to find out.”

They raced back to the quarters and demanded to know if he knew the faces of his staff by memory. Surprisingly, none of the women could give a concrete answer. They planned an exercise to test their suspicions. Maragadham laid in wait as he did his evening rounds across the palace perimeter with his aide, and stumbled into his path just as he turned a corner. He put out a hand to stop her fall and quickly changed positions with his aide so that in a matter of two seconds, it seemed like his valet had saved the lady from falling. ‘Man he is nimble!’, thought Maragadham as she enacted her drama of having a nail embedded in her foot. He knelt to inspect it and ordered the valet to fetch ointments and dressings while she rested. He nodded once more to her and left quickly to complete his routine.

Indira paced the room restlessly. “What! Did he recognize you from this morning? Are we caught?” she asked hurriedly as Maragadham sauntered into their room. “No, Your Highness, we are safe. If we have nothing else to do, though, we must plan to leave as the guards questioned me very much seeing I was a new face.”

The following morning, Indira watched the Prince practice dueling and wrestling from the women’s balcony. She liked him very well indeed. He was polite to the staff, very reserved (although she tended to explain that one to shyness rather than snobbery), and he kept a very good house. She could do worse than him, she thought to herself.

As the practice ended, she caught sight of his General clapping him on the back, and withdrew into the shadows of the sunshade when Amarendra Baahubali entered the field clad in armor and wielding a hefty mace. Their duel was exemplary, and Indira was soon so enthralled she forgot about secrecy and leant over the window to better watch them. Maragadham pulled her back in just as Kattappa turned swiftly in their direction.

“What is it, General?” asked a foot soldier who was standing guard.

“I felt we were being watched.”

“Those are the women’s quarters. They do not generally observe practices, do they?” asked the soldier.

“Keep an eye out anyway. I do not want any shamming courtesans to ogle my students. It is a needless distraction” bit out Kattappa.

 

 ---------------------------------------------------------

 

When they returned to Anupa, Lakshmi caught Indira just as she was sneaking in.

“Now do you think marriage is a good idea?”

Indira’s anticipatory smile was enough of an answer. Lakshmi laughed and sent her on her way, shouting after her to take a bath.


	4. Their first kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Um, this one has a detailed make out scene at the end which is enclosed between two lines of //. Until that point, and after that point it's only fluff.

Bhallaladeva, prince of Mahishmati, warrior unparalleled, the man who was stronger than four oxen and an elephant, the prince for whom seventeen rulers knelt, whined, ""Deva, sweetie, are you sure I can't see her?" 

"Call me sweetie one more time and you won't see anything ever again."

"Fine! You horrid horrid sister-in-law, can I meet my fiancee or no?"

"Hmm, let me think." Devasena sipped her juice in silence. "Okay, that's a firm no."

"Are you all collectively conspiring to destroy my soul?" yelled Bhalla. "First my brother leaves me out of the NeelaAranyam wars, and now I can't even see my wife!"

Devasena smirked at him over her glass and walked on to listen to the court in session. Bhalla stalked behind her, and took his seat below his mother. Sivagami Devi took her eyes away from the ranting mercenary to have a visual conversation with her daughter-in-law. After three glances between them where Devasena looked over to Bhalla and then pursed her lips in a smile, Sivagami Devi sat back on her seat with her hands dangling over the side of the armrest. Her handmaiden picked up on the signal and sounded the gong for a break. 

"Bhalla, would you like for us to host your betrothed and her family here for a fortnight?", she enquired.

He gazed adoringly from his mother to his sister-in-law and blessed them for establishing a communication system that involved so few words. Nodding gratefully, he excused himself to go to his chambers. Once locked securely, he sank down onto the floor and took out the page-sized painting of Indira that he had had commissioned. He ran his fingers across her face for the hundredth time, and marveled that one woman could be such a strong warrior, a level-headed strategist, _and_ so very beautiful. 

\----------------------------------------

 

Indira jumped and whooped when they got the invitation. Maragadham ran into her chambers, skirts flying. "Not illegally entering any more, are we?!" she laughed.

"Maragadham! Lend me your clothes! I must look my best! He must be impressed with me, it is imperative to me!"

Lakshmi turned a wry face. "Oh look at me, I am the princess, I am as stubborn as a horse, I don't wear makeup, .. oh what was it.. right! He will see me as I am, and I will _never_  dress up for a man!" she mocked.

Indira turned bright red and hid her face on her pillow.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

As she rode into Mahishmati, she was pleased to note that the guards were on dusk/dawn duty, so there was no chance of running into the men who had stopped them previously. They were welcomed warmly, and after the tour of the palace were led to their chambers. Indira made sure that both her mother and Maragadham gave her their approval on her attire, and they ate dinner with their hosts under pale orange lights with the courtesans singing titillating songs that grew dangerously suggestive as the night wore on.

Indira began to blush where she sat next to Bhalla as they made frequent eye contact over the course of dinner. They spoke about their childhoods, hobbies and friends, intently aware that the entire table was listening to them.

As they stood up, Devasena nudged Baahubali. He was so captivated in the telling the story of the last war, that he completely missed it. She rolled her eyes and glanced at Indira to see if she had caught the gesture. Indira bowed her head and glanced back up at her, earning a smile for her sharp observation skills.

Devasena nudged her husband again, and he offered to walk Indira back to her rooms while showing her their new jackfruit saplings. Indira accepted, and as the three of them and Bhalla went to inspect the gardens, she was soon left behind with Bhalla as Baahubali and Devasena turned a corner and disappeared.

 

_**/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** _

 

And so under the starry skies, in a semi-lit garden, Indira found herself walking behind her fiance as he pointed out their various botanical achievements. When they turned a corner, she stumbled over a rock arrangement, and found herself flushed against her fiance's torso where he had pulled her in from falling. Her world distilled down to the bewildered face three inches from hers and she stopped breathing.

This close, she saw how shapely his eyes were, leading to the angular bridge of his nose. Her eyes trailed down to the thick bushes of his moustache and she found herself idly wondering what the coarse hairs would feel like against her skin. Bhalla leaned into her, drawing her up against him as he straightened. Indira leant even further in and he stumbled backwards, not letting go of her, until he was pushed up against a wall of climbers. Her hands trailed down his torso, and she felt his pulse quicken as she drew her arms back over his biceps and shoulders. 

Indira leaned in, covering the last couple of inches and tilted her lips up, eyes half-closed.

Bhalla breathed in, and touched his lips to the corner of her mouth reverently. Laying soft kisses from cheek to cheek, he came back to her lips and pulled up her chin and went in a second time, tasting the remnants of honey from dessert.

As he relaxed completely, Indira opened her eyes, and broke away to rest her head on his shoulder. The warmth from his chest spread through her and she looked up at him with trust in her eyes where there had previously been a thousand questions.

She initiated this time, lacing her hands behind his neck as he laced his behind her waist. It was slow and deep and warm, and both of them wondered how they had been lucky enough. She leaned back and smiled gently at him, and Bhalla could not think of anything beyond 'I have never wanted anyone or anything as much as I want you in my life'.

His expression told her enough, and she curled her fingers through his hair, as she dragged her other hand down his beard. As he arched his neck, she moved lightning fast and kissed down the side of his throat. Indira prided herself on making him gasp for breath as he kept losing oxygen each time she tugged lightly at his hair. He let out little shuddering breaths that rattled his chest, and she patted him kindly while not letting go of his mouth. As she licked at his lips, Bhalla wondered how far she was taking this, but kept his lips shut. 

Not pleased at being denied entry, she trailed a hand up from his thigh to his shoulder, and his shocked gasp was the entry she wanted to his tongue. She licked lightly, and Bhalla responded with little moans and low hums, and a strong arm at her back locking her tighter into his grasp. 'Well darling, I am not going anywhere', she thought happily. She played inside and outside his lips, nosing at his jawline, breathing over his ear and circling back to kiss him in long drawn out pulls and pushes.

Bhalla could not think anymore. In a matter of minutes, his fiancee had turned him from a confident man to a quivering mess. He was completely under her whim, and he found that he did not mind at all. Only when all the kissing sent his blood running south, he thought it prudent to take a break.  

 

_**/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** _

 

 

Bhalla pulled away and held her at a little under arm's length. He stroked her hair, and dragged his beard across her cheek as he whispered into her ear, "Indira, you are," he stuttered as he trembled a little, "you are perfect, and it would be my absolute privilege to have you be my wife."

He breathed in, and knelt down on both knees, holding her hands in his, and gazed into her calm black eyes. "Would you do me the honour of accepting?"

Indira drew a solemn expression. "I swear upon my sword that I will be your wife and you will be my husband for as long as we both live."

 

\--------END of Chapter -----

 


	5. The Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning's wedding, and the evening.   
> There is no explicit content in this chapter, but there is suggestive talk about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pushed the smut to the next chapter because there's non-explicit content I want you to read here. Also, the wedding scene ends with the /// if you're very particular about not even hearing suggestions of smut.

Bhalla was a lucky man. His fiancée had had the option of fixing their wedding per her laws, and she had opted for the upcoming month, leaving them all just enough time to keep busy without allowing for time for pining after each other. Bhalla really did not think he could handle the burden of separation. He was smart enough to know the limits of his strength.

Indira had met with Sivagami and impressed her with her honesty, charmed her with her innocence, and stolen her heart with her brilliance and bravery. Indira had confessed worriedly to Bhalla that her father-in-law did not seem to be very fond of her; Bhalla had asked her to give him time. “My mother used to teach us ‘Love is not for the fickle of heart, or those who fear toiling for its sake’ so let us hold out hope on him, Indira.” When he smiled like that, Indira found that she could only agree.

She got along famously with Devasena, who quickly took her under her wing and taught her a few moves to take down the prideful princes. Bhalla, who had no bonding to do with her parents, as misogynistic practices did not require him to interact with his wife’s family very much apart from wishes once a year, still took a week to stay with them and earn their trust and approval.

The wedding was conducted in true royal fashion, with grandeur and opulence at every spot in the ceremony; Bhallaladeva found the opportunities to tweak it a little to his needs.

Bhalla asked Indira to wait alone for a moment before they climbed the stage to get married. “Indira darling, if anything I have ever said has caused you to have any suspicions about my love for you, my loyalty to our relationship, my trust in my capabilities to care for you- please tell me now.”

Indira smiled lovingly. “Be with me for the rest of my life just as you have been these past few months. Act the same way, love me the same measure, support me with the same conviction, and I will do the same by you. I am incredibly lucky Bhalla, I have been able to marry for love as well as for the welfare of Anupa, and I am blessed to have found you.” She stroked his hand fondly. He clasped her hand in his and raised it to his lips.

“Then let me bow to you once more before marriage declares me the better man” teased Bhalla.

He knelt and arranged the pleats of her red, stone-studded saree to fall perfectly. From his crouch, he took her left hand in his right, and she stroked his hair with her dominant hand.

“Indira, you are the love of my life. You add a dimension that no one else has, no one ever will. I want to write miles of poetry to your mind and your heart, but I can’t do you justice. But what I can do, is I can love you and support you in everything you do.

On my wedding day, this I promise, Indira- I will never dictate or impose my will on you. I will respect you and work alongside you. I swear to do everything I can to help you reach your dreams.

I will fail sometimes, and be infuriating, and useless, and insensitive, but I want to learn to be better, I _can_ be better- and I want to learn it with you. You make me a better man and a good soul. I love you. Will you marry me?”

Bhallaladeva was on his knees, with both of her hands now cradled in his gentle hold, and looking up at her with shining eyes and a face glowing with hope.

Indira took in a deep breath. “Yes. Now marry me before I cry.”

////////////// ////////////// ////////////// ////////////// //////////////

 

 

 Maragadham frittered over Indira’s clothes and hair that evening, rearranging the drape, lengthening it, shortening it, drawing it tighter across her hips, and picking restlessly at her braid. Indira finally turned around and chuckled, “He’s already married me. He can live with it if a few hairs are out of my braid.”

“Girl if you do your job right, he shouldn’t notice your hair”, snickered Maragadham.

Lakshmi, seated on the couch and bulging at eight months, revised the details with Indira once finally. “Are you sure you want to spend tomorrow with him? It isn’t usual for the bride to stay in bed for all of the next day. The people might suspect you died.”

“From happiness”, Maragadham piped in.

“Lakshmi it’s fine, the last month has been hectic and today was exhausting. We’ll do the puja the day after tomorrow. We need a break Lakshmi, you know we all do.”

As Indira left her chambers and walked down the corridor to her husband’s , the sheer exhaustion of the day caught up with her. The gentle breeze wafting down from the palace grounds, the thick fragrance of mangoes being ground up for dessert tickling at her nose, and the plush doormat outside the lounge, which was between her room and her husband’s all gave her a moment of pause.

Indira leaned against the wall, sinking her feet into the soft padding of the mat. She let the fine hairs of the fabric run between her toes, wiggling them into the cloth deeper and deeper. Unable to contain herself in her tiredness, she let out a long and hearty giggle at the ridiculousness of her situation. Where other women in every kingdom would have been racing down the palace to go to Bhallaladeva, here she was, playing with carpet fabrics. The thought of Bhalla sobered her up. The man must be waiting, pacing up and down with restless energy.

She knocked on the door. “Who is it?” he asked and she could hear the smile in his voice.

“Indira, princess of Anupa, now princess of Mahishmati.”

“Sorry, I didn’t get that. Who is it?”

“Bhalla….”

“Madam who are you? I am expecting someone. If you are not she, please do not waste my time.”

‘Damn it, he really wants to hear it huh? Well here it is!’ Setting her weight against the door, she knocked again. “Hey husband”, she drawled.

“Which of my wives comes knocking this late!” he exclaimed.

“The one that will eat you for breakfast if you don’t open this door” she growled in mock anger.

He swung the door open and she fell into his arms, this time on purpose. “Carry me in”, she demanded.

Bhalla crouched and picked her up under her knees and held her on the threshold. “Indira, my darling, I want you to understand, no matter how badly we mess up tonight, I still love you”.

He carried her in to the tune of her body wracking laughter.


	6. The wedding night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is entirely smut.

As he carried her over the threshold, Indira asked, “How heavy am I, Bhalla? Be honest.”

He replied, “I am carrying my heart outside of my body. I’m too scared about everything else to worry about weight.”

She leaned into his embrace and rested her forehead into the crook of his collarbones. She could feel his pulse thumping away as it reverberated near her eyebrows. “Are you nervous?” she whispered.

He was quiet as he lowered her onto her feet. He braced his arm against the wall, and stood maddeningly close but not touching her, as she ran her hands along the wallpaper. “I am, Indira. But I know I love you, and I know you love me, so we will be okay.”

She pulled him in by his collar for a kiss. He put his left hand on the wall, cocooning her. He let her lead, moving fluidly as she adjusted their positions to her desire. When she finally settled, Bhalla deepened the intensity of his kiss, his tongue laving over her lips, licking under her tongue and humming against her mouth. Indira moaned, letting out a stuttering breath, which he instantly decided he liked.

He cupped her neck with his hand, his fingers stroking the base of her neck. As she leaned into the touch, he grasped her hair and lightly tugged. Indira leaned back, panting, her eyes wide open and glassy. Bhalla picked her up effortlessly and drew her legs around his hips.

Indira’s gaze became focused again, her cheeks red and her pulse thumping away, as she looked down at where she was nestled. Her back against the wall, her hands on Bhalla’s shoulders and legs around his waist- she couldn’t resist a teasing little grind against his hips. He closed his eyes and drew in a long breath; looked Indira in the eyes and spun them around so she no longer had any support but her husband.

He walked the distance from the wall to the bed slowly, kissing her neck and letting his teeth scrape softly over her collarbones and nosed his way back up to her jaw. When his knees hit the bed, he knelt down to lay her on the soft feathery mattress and dragged her down so that her legs were hanging over the edge of the bed.

“I am formally welcoming you into the family tonight. Lie back and enjoy the evening darling.” he said with an open smile.

Still kneeling he reached over, untucked her saree from her waist and pulled it down, the way his groomsmen had told him. ‘If you remove that, and she hasn’t tucked it in anywhere else, why it’s the simplest thing in the world!’ they’d said. He looked up at Indira for confirmation, and her impressed gaze made him feel proud. She pulled the pallu of her saree over her head and sat up on her elbows to undo her blouse, and suddenly Bhalla was hit with a wave of arousal seeing his fiancée, nay, wife, wearing a mangalsutra that hung between her breasts , but nothing else. She stood up for a minute to get completely out of the garment, and Bhalla undressed, turning away.

“Come here, husband,” she whispered kindly.

‘No need for nervousness, Bhalla, we’ve waged wars and subdued kingdoms, this is not impossible’ he told himself and turned around. All the air in his body left him at the same moment, and his knees gave way. Indira walked over maddeningly slowly and Bhalla savored the sight, gulping audibly. She sat back on the bed, crossing her legs; Bhalla kissed her feet from where he was on the floor. As he caressed her calf muscles and knees and followed the trail of his fingers with his mouth, his nervousness decreased with each moan that she breathed out.

He was curious what she would do if he used more force than just his tongue. When he had climbed all the way up to her thighs, he placed a series of open mouthed kisses on the inside of her thigh, following up the last one with a sharp bite. Indira thrust her hip down, and began squirming. Bhalla was delighted, and continued kissing and biting till he reached her hips.

He went in enthusiastically, kissing and licking with fervor while his fingers played her like an instrument with strings of spun gold. Bhalla held down her squirming hips with his forearms, writing down all the poetry he wrote for her but was too shy to read to her. Where he forgot his lines, he improvised ad-hoc, and didn’t think his performance was any less impressive.

He learnt quickly, and she was a responsive teacher, giving him ample feedback and rewarding him with whimpers and soft moans when he did something right.

When she started crying out, panting and thrashing, he gently massaged her lower belly with his fingers, sneaking a glance upwards to see if she was alright.

Indira had shaken her hair so much the braid was a forgotten memory, and the blush at her cheeks had traveled down reaching for the top of her breasts. Her hands were fisting in the sheets as she was gasping for air trying to get some air into her lungs and keep them there. Bhalla rested his head against her stomach and nuzzled against her soft skin, until she looked down at him. She massaged his scalp with her fingertips and nodded when he looked up questioningly.

Bhalla resumed where he left off.

He kissed her waist, marveling that he could fit her torso into twice the breadth of his hands. A sudden rush of thought shocked him- a vision of her, pregnant with their child, lying in this very bed under his ministrations; she would no longer fit into his hands by any measure; he would place his palms against her belly and feel their child kick; he would be a father and he would have his own family and they would be happy. Blinking away the image, he continued mouthing at the underside of her breasts while his fingers kneaded them gently. She fisted both hands into his hair and thrashed unhappily under him. He lost track of time focusing on her breasts, marveling at his wife’s perfection.

When he finally circled back to her neck, he was fully stretched out on top of her. When she shifted repeatedly under his weight, he remembered to lift himself up and hold his weight off of his wife. Indira ran her fingers across his cheek, tilting his head down until they were both gazing at the only place they were touching each other. She inhaled sharply and quickly replaced the worried expression with a façade of calm. Bhalla caught her chin in his hand and muttered against her lips, “Darling, we don’t have to. I’m happy you let me in so far. We can rest now my darling wife.”

Indira shook her head. “I need you tonight, Bhalla. It’ll hurt a bit, but that’s alright. I want you, and I want you completely”.

Bhalla shuddered above her, overcome with emotion. “I’ll try my best to not make it hurt even a little, darling.”

He moved cautiously against her, not yet entering her, only drawing his member against the folds of her labia until her wetness had rubbed thoroughly against him. He pulled up one of her legs and hooked it over his arm. Dipping down to kiss her again, he murmured, “You can still say no. I love you.” She gazed back at him with such magnificent trust in her eyes that he couldn’t stop tears from forming in his eyes. “Shhh Bhalla it’s alright, please don’t cry” she soothed, rubbing his back.

He guided himself to her and inched in slowly. It was quite some time to be completely inside her as they had to stop many times to breathe, move and remind each other to relax. Once he was completely inside, he leaned down, rubbed his forehead against hers and muttered “I love you” over and over again, until he lost track of how many times he had chanted it; until she thrust her hips up experimentally. Shocked into action, he pulled back and thrust back in. Throwing his head back, he began to rock against her, maddeningly slowly, setting a cruelly sluggish pace.

She demanded him to go faster and Bhalla grinned cheekily mid-thrust, speeding up until her nails dug into his back. He set a punishing pace, remembering to kiss her occasionally, and soon she was crying out again and her warmth and spasming muscles marked the end of his adventure.

Swabbing gently with the soft damp cloth on the dresser, he checked her for bruises, bumps, anything that had marred the supple perfection that she had offered up to him. “Indira, my love, tell me if you hurt anywhere” begged Bhalla.

She hummed a no in response and beckoned for him to come to her. She stretched languidly and burrowed into his side. The cool air of the night and the courtesans practicing in the distance lulled them to sleep.


	7. Epilogue: anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains no explicit content. There may be one or two scattered lines that refer to a physical relationship.

The shade of the Banyan tree was soothing against the bright sunlight that hit Indira's eyes as she lay in her husband's lap. He shielded her face from the dancing sunrays and softly stroked her hair, smoothing down the wavy baby hairs. 

She turned to face up and smiled. He paused his day dreaming to smile back at her. 

"Would you say I'm a patient woman?", She asked. 

"This is a trap, but I don't know how yet. My answer is No"

"And am I pushy?"

" I really hope I'm not going to pay for this" he laughed

"Just answer."

"You are determined"

"But am I pushy?"

Bhalla sighed. "Yes, yes you are pushy."

"Do you reward me for good behaviour when I'm trying to change myself?"

"Yes. Do you really want to spend our first anniversary discussing character flaws?" asked Bhalla worriedly.

She sat up and scooched into his side. "I've spent the last four months learning to push less, and be more patient. Do I get a reward?"

"You know even if you did nothing but sit down every day I would shower you in gold"

" Don't be wasteful, darling."

" Alright, what is the reward? I'm sure you've already got your goal set."

Indira smiled innocently, and Bhalla's body tensed unconsciously. History had taught him to be wary of childlike smiles from his wife. She leaned into his side and stroked his arm as she said, "Remember you told me you wrote poetry? I want to listen."

As he began to oppose the idea, she continued, "I've wanted it ever since you told me about it but I've waited and waited hoping you would come to me yourself. But you didn't!". Her tone turned wistful. "So I waited some more, and now after a year of patience I'm asking this of you. Will you gift me this on our anniversary?"

Bhalla turned away, playing with the blades of grass, sulking that he could not deny such a well presented request and not for the first time he wished his wife would keep the brilliance of her mind outside of his heart. 

As the minutes ticked by, she turned to face him and said, "it's alright if you don't remember them. Ad libbing will do just as well."

'Might as well give in graciously', thought Bhalla. He recalled the memories of their brief courtship, the way he felt when she had first met him, his astonishment when she told him she had snuck into his rooms to spy on him, and a rather large smile spread across his face uncontrollably.

He leaned back on the rubbery bark. Closing his eyes, he felt rather than saw Indira lean in beside him, not touching but sitting in quiet companionship while he collected his thoughts. 

"The trees in Anupa are sometimes red

The people of Anupa sometimes guarded

But darling when I saw you for the first time

I couldn't look away, i couldn't allow it

Your arms, strong and supple, your eyes so brown

Your head perfectly shaped, a fit place for a crown

You're my wife now, a dream I dared not dream

A year ago I bent my knee

For the woman I loved ever since

My one and only."

 

A couple of scenic minutes passed by, where they sat contemplating the confession.

Indira rattled the fallen leaves around her, shaking with laughter. When Bhalla made an undignified sound of surprise, she said "that was literally the worst poetry I have heard in my life, and I love you for it"

He quickly moved away until he was sitting by the river, dipping his toes in. Indira laughed and followed.

"Isn't my honesty one of the things you love about me?"

"It would do you some good to temper your honesty with kindness" he mumbled. 

"That's a lesson I'll learn until our next anniversary then." Dropping a kiss on his forehead, she divested herself of her clothes and jumped into the river. 

Dappled under the shimmering gold rays, her hair glossy from the water, she was irresistibly enticing and Bhalla joined her there, feedback forgiven. He never could be angry at her for very long, that was something he had learned in the year gone by.

They spent the day like that, running around on the grass, climbing trees, shooting down fruits with stones, skipping stones on the pond, and dancing slowly, pressed together, the rhythm accentuated by small kisses. 

They watched the sun go to sleep on the bed of the horizon, and turned to walk down the path back to the city.

It was just the two of them, happy as children, with their hearts beating in sync, holding hands as they climbed down a meandering path to the twinkling city lights. 

Stopping over a particularly large rock, Bhalla jumped down first and leaned up to lift her bodily to level ground. Indira laughed and swatted at his hands, where he continued to hold her waist, not letting her go. 

"I'm down now, you big ox! Let me go!"

" You asked me for Poetry, beautiful. Close your eyes and listen."

 Indira drew in a shaky breath in disbelief, half laughing and dropping the grin when she realised he was serious. Still holding her in his arms, Bhalla began.

"Poets never explained what they saw in the moon

It's a large grey rock, hanging in the sky

I never saw its beauty

But that was before I met you, my darling.

Now I see you everywhere, your face etched into my heart

Your soul linked with mine, our hearts beating as one

I see the waves of your hair in the happy seas

I see the razor edge of your gaze in my sword

Your laugh echoes in the bells of the temples and 

Finds a home in my lungs, and I'm so terrified 

Of losing it that I exhale only partway ever since;"

 

He intertwined their fingers and continued, 

"You held up a Bejeweled mirror, and showed me

How much I wanted you

Everyone else sees us and sees royalty

Sees wealth and power and pride

They can't see you when you are spent, 

Shaking on the mattress, trembling with the

Force of how much I adore you

They don't see you holding my hand under the table

Don't see you with your hair flying in the wind

Don't see that your true power is in how much

You love me, and they certainly do not see

That my salvation lies in how much I love you.

 

For decades, Indira, I did not understand the beauty of the moon

You taught me that everything has beauty, everything has value, 

But let me teach you- there is nothing more beautiful to me than you."

\---------END--------

 

 

 

 


	8. Uncle!Bhalla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To satisfy my own curiosity

 

"Bhalla, just the man I was looking for!" exclaimed Amarendra Baahubali. "Come come we have something to tell you." 

Bewildered and more than a little suspicious, Bhalla followed his brother to Devasena's chambers. 

"Kid, sit down. This is important." Devasena patted the seat next to her on the divan. 

"Ok, if this is about the sword that was broken in the armory after my practice session, I can tell you right away that I only touched it lightly, and the swordsmith has already been heavily fined for poor quality..." Bhalla looked between them warily. 

"No, no, listen. So, you know how we are married and we love each other?"

Bhalla's eyes filled up with tears. Turning to Devasena, he clasped her hands in his. "Whatever he did, I'll make it right. Please don't leave us. I'll bend over backwards to fix it. Deva I love you, don't divorce him. He'll die of heartbreak. How did I not know anything?!" he shouted

Devasena rolled her eyes. "If you would shut up for one second, we would be much obliged." Standing up, she drew him into an embrace and his head rested against her belly. "Meet Mahendra Baahubali".

Bhalla whooped in joy, stood up hastily causing her to lose balance, caught her by her shoulders and sat her down, kissed Amarendra, hugged Devasena, kissed Devasena, jumped in the air, and ran to fetch Indira.

Devasena smiled at Indira and patted her stomach, and Indira dropped the papers she was carrying, and ran to Devasena and lifted her, spinning her in the air while Amarendra looked on in complete worry, prepared to catch the both of them should they fall. Huffing and puffing, shaking with laughter, the women collapsed on the bed, catching their breath. Indira sat up on her elbows and raised her eyebrows at Devasena, and they started giggling uproariously. 

 

\-----------------------

"Does this mean we're going to have to roll you back into Kuntala?" asked Bhalla.

"I am not that fat" said Devasena through gritted teeth.

"Not yet." he shrugged.

"We will be going there four months from now. You and Indira can help Mother run the kingdom." said Baahubali.

"Fine by me." he picked up his plate and left the table. 

Amarendra shared a confused glance with Devasena and shook his head. She excused herself and followed him out. "Kid, why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset. I have work to do so I left dinner early."

"If you're not upset, why aren't you looking me in the eyes?"

He reluctantly looked up. "I don't know Deva. A child is so much responsibility. Are we ready to be adults?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "You have been running a country for a decade and more! Why is one baby scary to you?"

He rubbed his biceps and shuddered. "You and Amee will be fantastic parents, you've practically earned all the experience with me. I've never been an uncle before. I'm so scared. Kattappa was an uncle to Amee only, he was only my teacher. And... you know my dad..." he sighed, scratching his head. "I guess, what I'm trying to say is, I've never had a good male role model, and I want to be that for this child, and I'm just so terrified that I'll muck it up, you know?"

Devasena sat down beside him and let him rest his head on her shoulder. "I understand you, Bhalla. It's so frightening, isn't it? The thought of being responsible for someone else's mind, to have to shape them...

Do you know what was the very first thing Amarendra told me before he introduced you to me? He said, "this is the man who showed me how to love, Deva. He pretends to be heartless and a beast, and he's certainly got the looks for it, but he's a huge softie. I learned to love from him. He hasn't had anyone love him. His mother loves me, his father is a deadbeat, our teacher loves me, the people love me, but who loves him? No one, Deva - so we must love him"

I love you, Bhalla. You aren't my brother-in-law, you're like a son to me. You're an ass, and infuriating quite often, but you have so much love to give. I _know_ you'll be a great uncle to Mahendra. Do you know why I know that?" she asked him, where he had moved from her shoulder to her lap and was sniffling into her stomach.

"I know that because you haven't wasted your love on anyone so far. You love us, but we don't demand anything of you because we are already adults with minds of our own, with the ability to provide for ourselves. Indira is your one true love, and she is also the same like us. So all the love in your heart is bursting to be gifted to someone, right? I just decided you won't be his periappa, you'll be a mama. 

Mahendra will be small, he is a blank canvas. We have to teach him what to do, what to say- for a long time, he can't even eat by himself. Will you feed him? Will you teach him to walk, and talk, and say 'Mama Bhalla'? Will you do that, mama?" 

Bhalla was sobbing into her shoulder and nodding, face flushed and breathing hard between sobs.

Devasena smiled at him. "Then you are ready! All that you have to be scared of for the next few months, is that the country should run itself without any hitches so that you can spend a long long time with Mahendra uninterrupted." She flicked his nose with her finger. "I will be so tired carrying him around nine months, that I'll want a lot of rest. Be prepared for babysitting duty" she teased.

\-----------------

In the end, Devasena decided to go through labour in Mahishmathi. The entourage packed their bags and marched back to her in-laws place, guarded by Amarendra Baahubali and Bhallaladeva. Indira received them with tremendous joy and caressed her baby bump. "Round as a ball, aren't you!" she exclaimed. "He's going to be a big healthy boy."

Devasena was still conscious when Mahendra entered the world outside of her. The handmaidens fetched Indira and Sumitra Devi. Devasena said with a ragged voice, "Not Bijjaladeva, no."

Sumitra tried to argue, "No, Devasena, that is not the tradition. Baahubali's mother is Sivagami, you cannot discard her husband." Indira put out a hand to stop Sumitra. "Deva, who do you want?"

Gathering her strength, Devasena yelled "Bhalla!"

He ran headlong into the room, having been pacing anxiously outside the chamber. "What is it, what is it" he heaved.

"My father is not alive, nor my husband's. For Mahendra to conquer a thousand moons, to live long, live happy, with you by his side- take him, Bhalla."

Bhalla bent down and gingerly picked up the infant from her bed. He kissed his forehead and looked back at Devasena with wonder in his eyes. 

"Mahendra Baahubali", he whispered. "Mahendra Baahubali, the future of Mahishmathi."

\-----------------

 

"Bhalla, stop it." ordered Devasena. 

"But he has to learn!" complained Bhalla.

"He can learn to wield a sword when he is taller than that sword. Give him back."

"You never let me do _anything_! You don't let me take him to court, or take him swimming, or playing with the other children. Deva if you keep doing this, he's not going to love me at all!" he whined.

"Chasing ponies around the stables is not 'playing with the other children', Bhalla" she shook her head and picked up her child.

 

\-----------------

 

"Well, Mahendra. We must focus, and try our best. Nothing but our very best effort. Alright? Now!" said Bhalla

 

"bulluh" bumbled the boy.

 

"Bha-ll-aa" he repeated

 

"bulluh" the child squirmed in his seat where he was being held captive. He reached for the slice of mango that Bhalla dangled in front of him.

 

"Bhal-lah" he tried again. When Mahendra began wailing, he surrendered the fruit and gave the baby back to the nurse. "Not a word to his parents" he warned before walking back to Court.

 

\-----------------

 

"Mama! Once more! Once more!" Mahendra squealed in delight. Bhalla picked him up with ease and took him on a ride, swaying like an elephant. Indira smiled, seeing her husband on all fours on the centre of the nursery. "Don't you two make a fine pair!" she exclaimed.

"My mama is the best man in the uniserve!" shouted Mahendra.

"Universe?", asked Indira, suppressing a smile. 

"Universe!" he agreed enthusiastically. 

 

\-----------------

 

"Mama?" whispered a small voice in the dark. 

"Yes my pearl?" asked Indira.

"Mama." came the response.

"Alright, I'll leave you two to it." She walked away to the guest chambers, leaving the bed to her men. 

"Bad dream, darling?"

"Monsters." his voice quivered, and Bhalla's heart shuddered.

"Let me tell you the story of Kalakeyas." 

\-------------------

 

"Mama, why don't you have children?", he asked one day.

"Your mami does not want any children", smiled Bhalla.

"But she's so nice to me"

"Yes she is, isn't she?"

"Will you never have children?"

"I don't know, kid! Play with me for a while. I hear your fencing has improved!"

Mahendra ran off to fetch his gear.

 

\-------------------

"Mama I love her!" he screamed.

"She isn't a princess." replied Bhalla evenly.

"But she can be! A princess by marriage! You have to support me on this!"

"I will support the law. Act lawfully, and I will support you."

"Avantika is better than any nobility. Give her one chance and she will prove it to you."

"How? By holding an uppity dinner party and seeing if she eats with grace?" snickered Bhalla.

"My life hangs in the balance and you laugh!" raged Mahendra.

 

Bhalla arranged for Avantika to be adopted by the aging rulers of the Hubli kingdom, and made an offer of marriage from Mahishmathi.

"I knew it Mama! I knew you'd be on my side!" Mahendra said, looking up at him lovingly.

"You kids are tiresome. Leave an old man in peace." he waved Mahendra away.

 

\--------------------

 

"Grand uncle." he repeated the words to himself quietly, in fascination. "Grand uncle."

Avantika waddled up to him, and emitted a sigh like a bullfrog. "Mama, this child is killing my back."

Bhalla massaged her feet, smiling quietly. That's what she liked about him- he was mostly quiet, but he delivered on his promises. She had heard accounts of his boisterous, loud-mouthed nature from more people than she could count, but he had never spoken in more than a whisper to her. "I can always count on you, mama. Whether it's giving me a marriage or a massage, I know you're there for us." She went to sleep, her feet still in his lap. Mahendra collected his wife a few minutes later, grinning an apology.

 

\-------------------

 

"Bhadrika", said Avantika, handing over the girl to Bhalla. "Noble, worthy, etc, etc." She smiled lazily. "You fill up the blanks."

"Unique name." he whispered, caressing the child's face.

"We wanted to name it Bhalla if it was a boy. For a girl, this was the closest we could get."

Bhalla's heart broke again.

 

\--------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave me comments :)


	9. Dad!Bhalla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On popular demand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for pregnancy-related stuff like feelings, blood, etc. I've tried to be as subtle about it as possible, but be warned.  
> I am no relationship expert, so please do not take the following dialogues as indicators of a healthy relationship.  
> (Also I wanted to title it Daddy!Bhalla but you know the kind of people that will question it so its Dad!Bhalla- I'm not happy about it either, but let's make do)

"This kingdom is so much work, Indira. I have no idea how mother ran it all alone for twenty years." 

"Yes, she is an amazing lady, isn't she?" 

"And to think, with you, mother, Baahu and Deva, I find it so exhausting! I cannot imagine doing it with two young children and no spouse!" 

"Hmm, I don't know, you do seem to have enough time to bed me every night, so you can't be all that busy" teased Indira. Bhalla smiled and continued reading armory reports. He frowned and walked around, with a look of deep concentration. "Indira, I believe we are under-stocked. I will travel to Anupa soon to place an order for more iron. I need you to come along to negotiate. We could also visit your parents. " 

"Bring back my parents when you return. I do not want to travel."

"But it has been months since you visited. Don't you want to see your kingdom?" 

"Mahishmathi is also my kingdom, love." She smiled , gesturing vaguely to the city on their left.

"Oh do come along, Indira, it will be a good break from the monotony of every day." 

"I can't travel." 

Bhalla stopped in front of her. With a hard look, he asked, "And why is it the Princess _cannot_ travel? This is royal business." 

Indira sat on the divan and tugged at his hands until he knelt before her. At eye level, she leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Congratulations, Your Highness." Cupping his face in her hands, she rubbed their noses together, wiping away his tears.

He kissed her deeply and the night cocooned them in the comfortable intimacy that it gifts expecting parents.   

\------------------   

 

 

"Have you told anyone?" Her incredulous expression was answer enough. "Who are we telling first?" 

"Wait a week until you return from Anupa with my parents. We can tell everyone over dinner." 

"I love you." 

"Go. I'm waiting for you- we're waiting for you. Come back soon, Bhalla" her voice was so wistful that Bhalla wanted to stay back. 'Duty first' reminded Sivagami's words in his mind. 

As he rode away, Indira watched from the tallest tower until he was a speck on the horizon. The week to come would be tortuous in its glacial pace, she was sure of that. Sighing, she returned to the council with a heavy heart. 

\---------------   

 

 

A week later, when the desserts were being served, Bhalla motioned for the staff to give them privacy. Indira cleared her throat and stood up, holding his hands tightly. "I am expecting." She could not say anymore as Sivagami Devi had leaped to her side to embrace her, and immediately after, the other two women had also combined forces to coddle her in a group hug.

Amarendra was delightedly clapping Bhalla on the back, who was blushing, and being well teased for it.

"When is the baby due?" asked Devasena.

"In seven months. We will know the gender soon too." The conversation quickly devolved into the chaotic chatter of eight people planning for a new person.

\------------------

 

Indira remained seated at Court all day, not speaking much and barely moving. Bhalla did not notice until he asked her a direct question and she was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she did not hear him at first. Breaking for lunch, he cornered her in the stairwell and enquired softly. She shook her head and tried to move past, but he did not let her go. When gentle approaches turned out to be futile, he blocked her path and glared at her until her wall of silence shattered.

With a trembling voice, she blurted "I don't want a baby, Bhalla."

He froze in place as the seconds ticked by. The sound of the cutlery on plates, and the smell of food all passed him by as he stood there unseeing. Indira said, "You deserve to know, but it is really hard to tell you this. I hope you don't hate me for that, husband."

Bhalla finally blinked and recovering his wits, took her to their Chambers. His valet made his excuses for him at Court and arranged for them to have some time to think things over.

Indira drew their curtains closed and walked over to where he was sitting on the bed. "I will not make a good mother. I am not built to be nurturing or caring or any of those things that mothers are. I am myself, and I have no interest in pushing a baby out of me and raising them for years." Smiling wryly, she continued, "I am not diplomatic either, so I could not phrase this in a way that won't shock you. Do you hate me, Bhalla?"

Bhalla was leaning against the headboard, with his hands wrapped around her. She looked down to where he was flexing his toes, his least obvious tell when he was deeply in thought. She went quiet for a while, waiting until he replied.

"Indira, I love you."

She had been prepared for many words, but not that one. She didn't dare to raise her hopes up, and stayed where she was, muscles locked in tension. 

"I thought when you told me that we were going to be parents, that you had decided to be a mother. So I think you can understand my shock when you tell me you weren't ever interested in being one. Why did you tell me that then?"

She traced her palm with the fingers of the other hand. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I wanted to give you the experience of being a father. You are a great uncle, and I see how you interact with Mahendra. I should not be responsible for denying you that joy. That's not what a good wife does. So I thought I would go along and try to be a mother so you could have that happiness. I... I'm sorry I can't, Bhalla. It isn't good of me, and I am failing at something that is already happening. There is a baby inside of me now, with a heart and eyes and _our_ genes. And I can't be its mother."

He wiped away her tears and patted her head in a gentle rhythm. "That was a very nice thing to do, Indira. Tell me, how would you feel if I cut off Mahishmathi's southern border at Roopanagara and gifted it to Anupa? Would your parents appreciate the gift?"

She looked up at him in confusion. "No, of course not! They can't handle a kingdom any bigger than Anupa. This is ours, we must manage it." She searched his face for some meaning, having lost her place in both conversation threads.

"So, we can only take care of what is ours. We do not thrust unwanted responsibility onto someone who is happy just as they are, and we do not do such things without discussing it with them beforehand. Right?" he asked her with a neutral expression.

"I... I haven't aborted the child yet, Bhalla. Should I? Do you want me to?" she whispered, clutching his hand tightly.

"You tell me news I cannot but delight in, you 'gift' that news to our families, then you change your mind, and tell me of your change of heart only when I catch you unawares. Is this model behavior towards your spouse, princess?" His tone of voice sent chills up her spine.

She had heard him use that icy tone with his subordinates, who had made unforgivable blunders and feared for their lives. Indira started regulating her breathing and checking for exits not bolted shut, praying that he would not murder her in their bed. In her confused state of mind, additionally stressed by the new hormones and the conversation she was currently having with the furious Elder Prince of Mahishmathi, her vision began to swim with both tears, and only when Bhalla shook her by the shoulders, her eyes cleared up and she saw that it was Bhalla she was talking to and not Bijjaladeva. He was speaking in soothing tones while he held her in his arms but she could not make out what he was saying, trembling where she lay, and wishing her body had picked the fight response rather than choosing to flee. 

As her heaving breaths slowed down and the tears stopped pouring, she found herself breathing into his collarbones. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do. I don't want this child and I'm disappointed in myself for not letting you be a father."

"You didn't listen to anything I just said, did you?" he asked from above. "I was telling you, I am satisfied with what we have. I'm the luckiest man on this planet, and I never want children of our own if you don't. I'm not going to force you to bear me children or take control of your body in any way. If I want children, I know what to do."

Her heart dropped and Indira's eyes filled with tears. There was only one thing to do. "Then as your wife, I permit it willingly." She could not stop the choked sound that came from her throat as she imagined him being a father without her.

"No! You idiot woman! Foolish woman! My children will have only one mother and that will be you. I cannot be a father to children who don't take you for their mother. May your disgusting brain rot in the pits. Hell child that I have married..." 

She looked up at him. "No, Bhalla. It's really all right. It happens all the time. I don't mind at all, please let me give you this one thing." She pleaded.

"Again you try to give me things I vehemently don't want. Stop your tongue before I stop it for you." The sadness in his eyes sent a strike of emotion through her heart. Unable to cry any more, she hugged him close and thought in the silence.

"Indira, what will you do about the pregnancy now?" his words were tentative.

"I do not know yet."

\-------------------

 

"My darling husband, I apologise. I have no words to explain how deeply misplaced my thoughts were." she began formally.

"Please don't try to pull a stunt like that again." The hurt in his heart was reflected aptly in his voice.

"I thought long and hard about it. I never felt that way before yesterday. I think it might have been the hormones talking, combined with the horrific murder we judged yesterday. I suppose it's rather hard to think clearly when you see a mother crying before you for her dead baby, and my fear solidified, projecting that image onto myself."

"You mean you didn't really mean it?"

"Yes that is exactly what I mean."

"Somehow, I find that very hard to believe, Indira." He carefully kept all emotion out of his voice. "Let what will happen, happen. But I really believe you meant all of what you said yesterday. And to reiterate, I have no interest in having children you do not want."

"But I _do_ want! How can I prove it to you?" she cried out.

He shrugged and said, "I have no answer to that, my love."

The decision was taken out of their hands a month later when the Royal Physician shook his head sadly, tutting over the bloody mess on their bed. Bhalla smiled at his wife. "See, nothing to worry about. No baby, no problems."

He was confused again when she went around the palace looking like her heart was broken. Indira did not eat, nor laugh; she moved around like a ghost, lethargic and weary. Bhalla tried to uplift her mood by taking her to the surrounding cities, and on picnics, and having her favourite meals brought to her. He himself was disappointed that they would not have children, but he loved her too much to let her waste away in such a fashion. When nothing yielded results, he submitted to his mother. The royal physician also weighed in with his advice. 

That evening, Bhalla took Indira for a walk in the gardens. "So it seems, when you have a baby and you suddenly don't have a baby, your body isn't as smart as your heart so it doesn't understand why there's no baby inside you anymore, so it makes too little happy hormones. Don't worry Indira, it'll right itself soon."

"But, but, I didn't even deliver a baby! Why do I have post-partum depression?" her face was so distraught that it took Bhalla all of his self control not to kiss her in front of the security and the gardeners.

"The physician says your body does not know if the baby was born or not, it only sees that there's nothing inside anymore... I'm so sorry that you have to go through this, love." 

 

\--------------------

 

"Bhalla, don't be angry at me, but I want a child." her eyes were shining.

"No."

"Listen I can be a great mother! We can raise a boy and a girl and play with them and teach them and oh, it will be wonderful!"

"No."

Shoving the papers out of his hands, she planted herself firmly in front of him until he was forced to look her in the eyes. "And why not?"

"Why not, is because I'm not entirely convinced you're doing this out of some misplaced feeling of generosity. I've told you before, your body is not a gift unto me, just like mine is not to you."

"And if I told you I really want a child? Will you not give me one?" she demanded

"No. Until you can raise at least a kitten, you do not get to decide if you can care for a child." He hoped she would drop the topic.

"Done."

"I was joking!" he ran after her in panic. "Pets are not equatable to children! You can't be a mother just because you raised a puppy! Indira, come back!" he chased her to the stables.

\-------------------

 

"May the Lord help me put up with you."

"Anyone else would be delirious with joy, Bhalla."

"You wouldn't possibly understand. You go and say these things and then I have to face them."

"Ah, well then, who am I to deny you practice?"

He drew a tired hand across his face. "You're not joking? You're not pretending? You fully understand what you want? You understand what this will mean for you and for me? For our relationship?"

"No, I really do mean it."

"All right. Tonight."

 

\-------------------

 

In the end, it turned out to be only as easy as walking horses through a flooding river. Devasena helped them as much as she could, ensuring to divide responsibilities equally between the four of them, and riding out on missions herself when Bhalla wanted to be with Indira. And for all their preparation and nervousness, their child was born perfectly. 

Bhalla's face was a study in fascination. "She's so small" he kept repeating. 

Sivagami Devi was as pleased as she possibly could be. "What will you be naming her?" It was blatantly obvious to everyone in the room that she was hoping they might name the child after her. Devasena turned away to hide her smirk, happy that she had won the bet with her husband.

Indira smiled, and stroking the newborn's feet, replied, "Bhadrika."

 

\-------------------

 

Bhalla had a routine that was operating perfectly. The morning exercises would be followed by court, then administration duties over his departments until sunset. Once dusk set in, all his time was for his child and his wife. A minister who had attempted to interrupt their playtime had been sent home with the Mahishmathi emblem tattooed on his forehead by Bhadrika's shaky little fingers. 

Bhalla found himself wanting to spend every hour of his day with her, but when she asked him, as a precocious five year old, "If you keep playing with me, how will Junaid play with his father who is waiting for you in Court everyday?", he found himself re-inventing himself to the best version he could, so that he could continue 'being the best man in the world' in her eyes.

Days turned into months, and her tutors had nothing but words of praise for his daughter. Bhalla, never pious, started giving thanks to the gods that they had been blessed with a treasure like her. By eight, she was often sparring with Mahendra foot-to-foot, pulling no punches and with a ferocity that Bhalla recognised in himself. Indira despite all expectations to the contrary, had taken to the child like a duck to water, and was almost on par with Devasena in terms of parenting. 

Bhadrika was growing up, breathtaking in her brilliance, and subtly charming to the point where no person could honestly say they didn't like the young girl. She knew that she had her father wrapped around her little finger, but she did not abuse that power, instead preferring to channel that generously-funded resource into building rain shelters for the poor, reducing the problem of strays by encouraging adoption of pets, and making the city's public areas accessible to the disabled. Bhalla marveled daily that one eleven-year old girl could effect so much change in a kingdom. 

"Do you know what she did today?" Sivagami Devi smiled at her son.

"You delight in telling me, so I leave the answer to you. No guesses" he raised his arms in surrender.

"She held court, with Mahendra as her General, and tried the bison for manslaughter."

"Who did the bison slaughter?" Bhalla was already smiling in anticipation of the upcoming demonstration of his daughter's marvelous nature.

"The ant under its hindfoot."

Bhalla was clutching at his heart. "And the penalty?"

"Forgiven with a warning. The victim was wandering under the accused's blind spot where 'reasonable precaution had already been taken to forewarn wanderers' so the ant has caused its own demise. There was also a very moving funeral for the deceased."

\--------------

"Listen to reason.", she instructed her father.

"YOU listen to reason."

"I am royalty. Rulers shake before me, and I have power you know not. I will not tolerate idiocy from my own family." 

"Do not use a haughty tone with me! I taught it to you!" his amazement at her assertiveness temporarily made him forget her imperiousness.

"There are other people in this family who act haughty. The world does not revolve around you." she stormed away.

 

Kattappa bowed and waited. "The princess is not here, I see."

"Astute observation" replied Bhalla wryly.

"Will she join us soon?"

"Do you know the workings of a fifteen year old's mind?"

"We must adjourn then."

"Before you leave, tell me, who inspired her to apply to Nalanda?"

"I could not possibly say." Kattappa's stoic demeanor gave away no clues.

"I bet it was Devasena. I will be having words with her."

 

"Yes I did. What is your problem in her going to Nalanda?" asked Devasena.

"She is too young, and it is too far."

"We sent Mahendra. Would you deny your child anything else you arranged for her cousin?"

"He is older than her, and a ..." he trailed off, having spoken too quickly.

Devasena stepped down from her seat and stood in front of him, the only woman who could look him level in the eyes. Her anger beat straight down into his eyes, and she curled her hands into fists. "Is it a girl-boy difference, brother-in-law?"

"No, of course not! It's just that it's so far away, and she's so young!"

"She can visit us whenever Mahendra visits, and she isn't as young as either Indira or I were when we studied."

"But you two didn't have to go away to be taught. I can arrange for the finest tutors to be brought right to her very door! She need not even leave the north wing to get her lessons", he finished in a stroke of inspiration.

"Learn to let go. Love is only love if you let her grow, kid." Devasena had a way of vanishing away his deceptive veils and striking right at the heart of his fears.

 

\-------------------

 

It was a happy day for Bhalla when she returned. "After long last, I see my baby again!" he boomed.

"I am no baby, I am an adult! I can run a kingdom now, with the wealth of knowledge I have." she said.

"Bhadrika, we expect you to run more than just a kingdom. You must conquer the continent. That was the deal we struck." reminded Amarendra.

"Will you please let my grand-daughter eat a meal in peace? You can fight over borders after she has rested."

"Mother, you have gone soft with age" laughed Baahubali, and instantly froze as Sivagami Devi laid a dagger to his throat. 

"Not that soft yet, nor that old." The dagger was swiftly replaced inside the folds of her saree.

Bhadrika reminded herself of why even the Tibetan people shook at the mention of her grandmother.

 

As the courtesans sang familiar songs, Bhadrika stretched like a cat and draped her long limbs over her father's lap, wiggling her feet looking for a massage. Bhalla felt like a piece of him had returned after eons, but at the same time, he did not like this new opinionated lady who had replaced the angry young lass he had sent away to Nalanda. As they chatted about old acquaintances and new conquests, he looked up in the middle of narrating the latest war to find her asleep. 

Bhalla picked her up as easily as she was four years old, and carried her to her bed. 'Maybe she's not all that changed.' he thought to himself.

 

\----------------

 

 


	10. Underneath the stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hurt/Comfort. This chapter has no explicit content.

Bhalla was staring at his wife's animated narration, food forgotten in front of him. 

"Eat, my love!" she laughingly reminded him, and resumed the anecdote. Kumaravarma who was visiting, had tripped over her mace in full view of the family, and Bhalla who had been busy firefighting an aggressive emissary's message had missed the spectacle.

He nodded and ate another morsel, but soon forgot about the meal again. He could not believe that such a wonderful woman had married him, had chosen him over a hundred others. Only half-listening to the story, he had a goofy grin plastered on his face as he admired Indira. Thankfully, it was a private dinner with only Indira for company. He had made enough of an impression of a besotted fool to the entire family, but he did not mind the teasing- he was the one that got to go back to her bed, after all, he thought smugly to himself.

"Such a fool, Bhalla, like you wouldn't believe! I really don't know what Devasena sees in him!" she finished with peals of laughter.

"Maybe a sister's love is his saving grace", smiled Bhalla.

Indira snickered. "Depriving a village somewhere of its idiot. Devasena should really return him to the people!"

Bhalla frowned. "That's not very nice, my love. He might not be very bright but he is harmless and loving. No need to trash him this way, I think."

"If he isn't useful to society, he had better go herd cows. What use is a Prince that can't protect his people? Built like a brick and no use from it!", she argued.

"Not everyone born into royalty can serve their intended duties, can they? Mother was born into a trader's family, but she is better suited for governing a kingdom. Father was born into royalty but he cannot rule for the life of him."

"Now who's trashing people? And their own family too!"

"I wasn't 'trashing' my father, I was only stating the facts. And Devasena's family is my family too!"

"You always stand up for her! It's like I don't even matter! Why is she so important to you, Bhalla?" Indira was starting to turn red.

"She is my sister-in-law, Indira... she's just, she's just special to me. I love her so much."

"And do you not love me?! Am I not special to you?" she shouted. "Yesterday, she gave you a new robe and you went mad over it. It was only cloth! Not even silk, and you fawned all over her. She didn't gift me anything, so you should have rejected your 'gift' as well. We're equals and if she doesn't respect me, why do you still worship her?"

"It was only a cloth! Yes! It's not a big deal, love." pleaded Bhalla. "I'll go return it right away. I only thanked her because it had a pattern of bulls on it which I like, and she remembered it and gave me that specific robe. It's not a big deal!"

"I don't care. Do what you want to do, Bhalla. You'll always appreciate your family more than me."

"We each care for our birth families more than anyone else, Indira, that's just the truth of life." blurted Bhalla.

"Oh really? Because only one of us gave up their kingdom and family to travel to the other side of a mountain to live with an unloving spouse, a power hungry mother in law, and a mad father in law, with a holier-than-thou couple that's always breathing down our damn necks!" Indira shouted and marched out of the room.

 

Bhalla sat there, his heart aching. He had never loved anyone before, truly, so he did not know that 'heartache' was a physical experience and not poetic license alone. With a burden on his chest and a choked up throat, he went to the armory and fenced furiously with the guard on duty until his body screamed in pain. Dropping his sword, he went to the riverbed and lay flat on his stomach, dragging his fingers through the cool water. Her words echoed in his mind over and over again, their intonation and volume amplified twenty times in the quiet night. 

He had made every effort to ensure her comfort and happiness. He carved out two hours every week to go on a picnic with her, apart from all the duels they bonded over, and the meals he ate with her every day. It was not even six months since they had been married, and he had already visited his in-laws twice, both times returning alone as she stayed there for a few more days. And to think she was making a fuss out of his love for his own family! 

 

Indira paced along the balcony, her nails ripping a hole into the soft threads of her shawl. She wanted to scream until the roosters crowed back to her. Her anger had always been a point of trouble for her in the past, and now she had gone and taken out her frustration on her innocent husband. Dropping to the floor, she lay there staring up at the night sky. After a few minutes, she got up with a decisive nod and set about finding Bhalla.

When she caught sight of him, she thought he was shivering from the cold. As she neared quietly, feet bare on the damp grass, she saw that he was shaking from sobbing, and her heart weighed as much as a stone. She stopped a few paces behind him, unsure of whether to approach him or let things run their course. 

"I am sorry for my family. I know they're not the most ideal people, but they're still my family", he whispered, looking at the river.

Indira gasped, startled at the sudden words. She ran to his side where he had sat up and hugged him from behind, nuzzling into his neck.

"I know Mother can be a little overbearing, and my father very manipulative, but I didn't choose them, and they won't change, so I really can't promise much for you, my love." he continued, still looking downcast.

"Shh, shh, stop it Bhalla. I didn't mean any of that." said Indira.

"No, it's fine. I understand what it's like, especially when I see your parents adoring you and being 'normal'- I can't ever give you that. I'm also not a very normal person, I don't know how to do this- I... I, I can't love anyone properly, like how Baahu loves Deva, or how your father loves your mother. I don't know how to." his voice was quivering.

"Bhalla, please, I'll teach you, we'll learn how to love, together. I'm sorry I said such hurtful things, forget all of that. Just wipe it."

"You don't have to live with this family, Indira. I was thinking just tonight how lucky I was that you chose me. If you want us to move away, or move back into Anupa, I'll do it, for you."

His breathy voice broke her heart. Indira shook her head, ruffling her hair against his back. She stretched around him and took his hands in hers. "Darling, forget it all. This is your home, we must live here."

"But we don't have to! Don't you see? You never like returning to Mahishmathi when we go to Anupa, and I miss you so much that by the time you return I'm always packed to ride back to you- I need you by my side terribly. Mahishmathi has Baahu, she has Devasena, she has Mother. She does not need me now. Anupa only has your parents, and she definitely needs you Indira."

"We will rule both of them, _from here_ , Bhalla. Don't talk any more, please. I'm so sorry I said all those things. That robe looked lovely on you, remind me to thank my sister when I see her next." 

"You aren't angry any more?", asked Bhalla in a hurt voice.

"I never should have been, my love. You've been nothing but an absolute angel to me, and can I tell you something?  I don't think you were lucky, I think I am the lucky one in our relationship." said Indira, and Bhalla heard the smile in her voice.

Turning around, he huddled in close to her, leaning in until his face was an inch away from hers. He closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. Indira closed the distance and put her forehead against his, rubbing this way and that until all their tension left their bodies; together, they collapsed in tiredness against the grass, snuggled in closely. Bhalla wrapped his arm around her, and she hooked her leg onto his hip and they fell asleep to the lullaby of the rushing water. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was writing practice. Tell me if I could have done something better :)


	11. Dewdrops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains explicit content

Bhalla honked loudly at the motorist weaving in front of him. "Everyone's trying to get home, why are you in such a hurry?" He screamed ineffectively from inside his car. 

Indira stroked his forearm, "park here and let's walk. It's not far."

"But the rain..."

"It'll be fun, come on." She unbuckled and groped around the back seats. "Where's the umbrella? In the trunk?"

"Dang I lent it to Jay just yesterday." He raised an eyebrow. "Still want to walk?"

"No." Getting out of the stationary car, she shouted, "let's run!"

Bhalla flailed, wavering between traffic and running with her. Shaking his head, he locked the car and raced to catch up. The rain was pounding hard, and he was soon soaked through his shirt, his curls flopping onto his forehead as his shoes started filling up with rainwater.

 "Faster! Last one to the house makes dinner!" She taunted him from ahead.

"I've always loved your fried rice!" He laughed.

"I'm in the mood for your sandwiches" she panted as he caught up. 

"Rice it is", he said as he wove in front of her. Reaching their door and patting his pockets, he looked up as she sauntered in, dangling the keys in front of him. "A girl learns", she grinned.

He crowded into her space, pressing her against the doorway and braced one arm against the door. "Hey beautiful."

Indira smirked. "Picking me up on my doorstep? Quite lazy. Hmm, I don't think I'll take you up on that offer." She turned and unlocked the door, and glanced back. He was leaning against the door frame, a grin on his face. She stopped and stared.

His hair dripping and curls haloed around his face, face flushed from running, his pulse beating wildly against his throat, shirt drenched and sticking to his torso, the gleam of his belt buckle shiny from the remaining drops, his thighs showing beautifully in the pants plastered against him, looking as though they had been tailored on him, the heel of one foot resting against his ankle as he tapped it lazily, in a slow rhythm. 

Indira knew she was staring but she couldn't look away. She dropped her bag on the floor and continued staring.  Bhalla walked in slowly, a total strut of confidence, and stood an inch away from her. "Dinner isn't really on my mind right now." He said in a deep baritone and bent down to kiss her neck. 

Forgetting the last of her thoughts, she bared her neck and whimpered. He continued kissing the side of her neck, his stubble raking and scratching at her supple skin. 

She squirmed, pushing up into him. He kissed gradually up her jawline and onto her lips. Breathless, she kissed back, half climbing him in an effort to reach his lips. He turned them around, walking backwards with Indira leaning on him, arms around him, and pushed the apartment door open behind him.

"First one in" he whispered against her mouth as he dragged her in. 

"Don't care. Don't stop", she whispered back. 

Bhalla rubbed his cheek against hers and gripped her hips tight. "More?"

"God yes", she choked out as he kneaded her breasts over her clothes. 

He dragged her blouse over her head and snapped open her bra. His fingers were long, but she always fit perfectly into his palms. Backing her into the bed, he laid her out and sat back on his heels. "Yes?" He asked. When she nodded, he shook his head and smiled. "Use your words"

"Fuck yes" she grinned ferally.

He swooped in enthusiastically, kissing her lips, tongue cheekily invading and tasting the inside of her cheeks, until he caught her tongue between his lips and sucked. She arched her hips up and thrust obscenely. He bit down on her bottom lip, one hand plucking the tip of her nipple and rolling it.

She whimpered and groaned in frustration. It was no use rushing him, she knew from experience that when he wanted to take his time nothing would make him go faster. He knew the exact minute she gave in, smiling against her skin where he was understanding the scent and flavor of the monsoon against her waist. 

She lay back, dragging a pillow under her head and closed her eyes. Giving in fully to the evening, she reveled in his touch, fleeting here, strong there, his nimble fingers smoothening the tense muscles of her back as he vanished the stress of the week. The splattering music of the rain accompanied his slow seduction.

When she got restless, she made a small sad sound, choked off in an exhale. Understanding, he reached one hand up from his exploration of her labia and tapped his finger against her lips. Sitting up eagerly on her elbows, she drew it into her mouth, lapping at it until it was wet and smoothly moving inside her mouth. As she gave a particularly hard suck, he reciprocated it on her clitoris. She shuddered and glanced at him, eyes wide. His answering smirk pushed her to experiment. She licked the side of his fingers and found him toying with her labia. She sucked his finger wholly into her mouth, until her lips were against the webbing of his hand, and Bhalla pushed his tongue into her. 

She gave up, head rolling back, and thrust upward wantonly. The rain had slowed down, now only a remnant of the fierce shower that had beaten down on them. Indira was mirroring the rhythm of the rain, trying to find her closure, but he wasn't having it. Bhalla scraped his teeth over the soft skin of her inner thigh. 

Moving back up to her breasts, he seemed to decide it was a good day to test the sensitivity of her nipples to the coarse texture of his stubble and the strength of his teeth. Licking hastily, he caught it between his teeth and lightly tugged. 

Indira arched off the bed screaming. 

"Now, please, now, I can't wait anymore" she gasped breathlessly. His responding satisfied smile couldn't bother her anymore, she was so far gone that she would do anything to have him inside of her now; his power complex be damned. 

He lined his cock up to her entrance and thrust inside in one smooth motion, and time stopped as she forgot how to breathe. He pulled out, and slowly thrust back in, with the pace he should have used the first time. Indira stretched her arms out, finding nothing but bedsheets to hold on to. He picked up the pace, and suddenly was tapping at her leg.

Indira opened her eyes and the background noise of the rain, the muffled traffic noises, the distant TV of the other flats all melted away as she locked eyes with him. 

'I love you' the thought seemed to stretch out like a silk rope, binding the two of them. The sanctity of the moment was amplified by the streaks of the setting sun that shone through the window, hitting his stomach, bathing him in a mellow orange and gold splash of colour. Remembering what he was doing, he smiled, not breaking eye contact and thrust faster. 

Indira raised her legs higher and perched her ankles on his bulky shoulders. Bhalla held them up above his head, and set a punishing pace. He had had enough of going slow. 

"Yes, yes, yes!" She shouted, gripping ineffectually at the sheets, writhing in abandon. Arching off the bed, Indira screamed soundlessly, tears running down her face, muscles clenching around his cock.

He felt her squeeze around him and the pressure was too much. He froze momentarily, tensed up and pulled out, shuddering as he came. 

Collapsing onto the bed, he plucked a tissue from the bedside table to wipe himself and trashed it. Turning to Indira, he ran his fingers across her cheekbones, tracing the deep blush that he had painted across her body. She sighed and cuddled into him. 

"I don't want to make fried rice", she complained. 

"Oh, was that not good enough?" He teased

"Mmph!" She grunted from where she was nestled into his collarbone. 

"Your boy's hungry, he's tired from fucking you. Now get him a meal, woman" he laughed.

"Promise me another round."

He chuckled and stroked her hair. "Insatiable, aren't you?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me a comment :)


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